CVE-2015-5873 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
IOGraphics in Apple OS X before 10.11 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-5871, CVE-2015-5872, and CVE-2015-5890.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5873 affects the IOGraphics framework within Apple's operating system, specifically targeting versions prior to macOS 10.11. This issue resides within the graphics subsystem that manages hardware graphics interfaces and driver communications, making it a critical component for system stability and security. The IOGraphics framework serves as a bridge between the operating system kernel and graphics hardware, handling tasks such as display management, graphics driver loading, and hardware abstraction layer operations. As a core system component, vulnerabilities in this framework can have far-reaching consequences for both system integrity and user security.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that lead to either privilege escalation or memory corruption conditions within the IOGraphics subsystem. Memory corruption vulnerabilities typically arise from improper input validation, buffer overflows, or use-after-free conditions in kernel-level code. Given that this vulnerability affects the graphics framework, it likely involves improper handling of graphics driver data structures or hardware communication protocols that could be exploited through crafted graphics operations or driver interactions. The unspecified nature of the vectors suggests the vulnerability may involve multiple attack surfaces within the graphics subsystem, potentially including graphics driver interfaces, display protocol handling, or hardware abstraction layer communications.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5873 represents a significant security risk for affected systems, as local attackers can leverage this vulnerability to either escalate their privileges to system administrator level or cause system instability through denial of service conditions. Privilege escalation capabilities would allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to system resources, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation. The memory corruption aspect could result in system crashes, kernel panics, or more insidiously, create conditions that allow for further exploitation through advanced attack techniques such as heap spraying or code injection. The vulnerability's classification as affecting OS X versions before 10.11 indicates it was present in multiple major releases, amplifying its potential impact across various deployed systems.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities, both of which are common in kernel-level graphics drivers where memory management is critical. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as privilege escalation through kernel exploits and denial of service via system instability. The attack surface for this vulnerability would typically involve local execution contexts where an attacker can interact with graphics subsystems, potentially through malicious applications, driver installations, or system modifications that trigger the vulnerable code paths. The distinction from related CVEs CVE-2015-5871, CVE-2015-5872, and CVE-2015-5890 indicates that this represents a separate code path within the IOGraphics framework, suggesting multiple distinct vulnerabilities exist within the same subsystem. Organizations should implement immediate patching strategies targeting macOS 10.11 and later versions, while also considering enhanced monitoring for suspicious graphics driver behaviors or system stability issues that could indicate exploitation attempts.